


The Chancellor's Lapdog

by marmolita



Series: Devotion [2]
Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Alternate Universe - BDSM, Angst, Bondage, Boot Worship, Dom Ardyn, Dom/sub, Dubious Consent, Flogging, Humiliation, M/M, Master/Pet, Pre-Canon, Sub Ravus, mentioned past underage rape (not explicit)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-28
Updated: 2018-03-28
Packaged: 2019-04-14 06:57:33
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,154
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14130579
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/marmolita/pseuds/marmolita
Summary: Ardyn walks around him in a circle, a hand plucking at the folds of his shirt to arrange them.  "You must be so angry, to be taken down from prince to plaything.  I see you've squirreled away my knife -- I do hope you were planning to attack me with it."  Ravus freezes.  "Well, go on then," Ardyn says.  "Attack me."(This is in the same universe as other fic in this series, but completely standalone.)





	The Chancellor's Lapdog

**Author's Note:**

> Written for this kinkmeme prompt that just requested sub!Ravus: https://ffxv-kinkmeme.dreamwidth.org/4747.html?thread=9240715#cmt9240715 and it conveniently fits into kink week day 3, BDSM AU.
> 
> This takes place in the same AU as my other d/s-verse fics but is standalone.
> 
> WARNINGS: this takes place in an AU where Niflheim doesn't treat submissives well, at least not captured submissives. Ravus is about 18 at the start of this fic but he has been abused since age 16, though this abuse is not described explicitly and is only referenced. His relationship with Ardyn is obligatory, thus the dubcon warning! There are also a couple of times that Ardyn hints at a possible incestuous relationship between Ravus and Luna but they are not actually involved in such a relationship.

Ravus trembles with the effort of holding still, his knees aching from kneeling on the rough stone floor. His jaw aches too, mouth full of the hilt of Caligo's short sword as he struggles to keep the tip off the ground.

"My my," comes a voice from behind him, "what have we here?" Ravus can't turn to look, not unless he wants to risk dropping the sword. He knows the punishment for disobedience is severe; his back still aches from his last flogging. "Is this not Prince Ravus Nox Fleuret?"

"Not a prince anymore," Caligo grunts. "What can I do for you, Chancellor?" Ravus draws a slow breath through his nose, ignoring the drool that's dripping down his chin. He's heard of Chancellor Izunia of course -- the man is said to have a mercurial disposition, shifting from kindness to cruelty at the blink of an eye.

"Merely checking in to see how the annexation of Tenebrae is coming. How long has he been holding your sword?"

"Fifteen minutes or so. I've been working him up to it."

The chancellor makes a sound of approval, and Ravus tries not to flinch at the touch of fingers in his hair. "Impressive," he says. "And how is he in the bedroom, hmm?"

Caligo laughs, and Ravus clenches his jaw tighter. "Uninspiring. The boy's too frightened to be much fun -- you'd hardly know he's a sub with the way he fights it. Still, he's got a nice, tight ass."

"Hmmm," the chancellor murmurs. "Would you mind terribly if I took him under my wing, so to speak?"

"Not so long as you trade me one of your other subs."

"Of course. I'll just retrieve your sword for you, shall I? Drop it, boy." Ravus hesitates. Caligo gave him the command to hold, but the chancellor outranks him, doesn't he? He opens his mouth and let the sword fall into the chancellor's waiting hand. "There's a good boy," he says, ruffling Ravus's hair. "I think you'll train up nicely indeed."

***

The Chancellor -- Ardyn -- is kind, at first. He brings Ravus to the room he's staying in and leaves him there with food and water and instructions to make himself comfortable. There are any number of things in the room Ravus could use as a weapon, and he takes a paring knife from the cheese board and slides it into his boot. At least they've let him wear clothes today, so there's a chance he'll be able to take the knife back to his cell and maybe come up with a plan to get out of this hell.

Ardyn comes back an hour or so later, and Ravus falls to his knees at his approach. He's ignored at first as Ardyn hangs his coat, hat, and scarf, and then Ardyn's steady gaze turns to him. "That's hardly becoming of a prince," he says mildly. "Do you really allow them to treat you so poorly? Up you get, let me look at you."

Ravus rises to his feet, uncertain what to make of this behavior. Ardyn walks around him in a circle, a hand plucking at the folds of his shirt to arrange them. "You must be so angry, to be taken down from prince to plaything. I see you've squirreled away my knife -- I do hope you were planning to attack me with it." Ravus freezes. "Well, go on then," Ardyn says. "Attack me."

"I wasn't going to," Ravus says stupidly.

"No? Whyever not?"

". . . if I attack you, I put my sister's life at risk."

"Ahh, now it becomes clear! The devoted older brother, submitting to a life of servitude to save his precious sister." Ardyn chuckles and strokes a finger under Ravus's chin; Ravus tries not to flinch. "Tell me, if she weren't your sister, would you beg for her collar?"

He does flinch, then, the barb hitting closer to home than he cares to admit. It's true that he'd do anything to keep Lunafreya safe, and to serve her in her role as the Oracle. He's been trained since birth to the sword to protect her and to lead Tenebrae's armies in her defense, and there is nowhere he would rather be than at her side.

"Mm, yes, I rather thought so. Well, Prince Ravus, I'm sure you've far more skills outside the bedroom than inside. I'd like to see what use I can make of them. You were made for greater things than swallowing down the cocks of commoners. What do you say?"

"What . . . what exactly are you offering?" Ravus asks slowly. "My freedom?"

"Well, no, of course not. Tenebrae still belongs to Niflheim. I'm offering you a chance to prove yourself. Join my army, and I'll make sure you're given time to visit your dear sister. She'll be allowed to ascend as Oracle when she comes of age."

"Is that all? You want me to fight in your army?"

Ardyn's smile spreads slowly across his face. "I expect you'll still serve me on a rather more personal level. If you agree, we can begin your training right away."

"And if I don't?"

"I'm sure Caligo would love to have you back."

There's no decision to be made, not really. For the past two years since Niflheim invaded, he's been passed around from soldier to soldier, beaten and fucked and forced to crawl, with the threat of harm to Lunafreya hanging over his head. Servicing one man couldn't possibly be worse than that -- and as much as he hates Niflheim, if he joins their army he might have a chance to make Regis Lucis Caelum pay for the wrong he did to the Nox Fleuret family.

He slowly retrieves the knife from his boot and hands it over.

***

Ardyn doesn't touch him. He's assigned to train with the newly recruited soldiers, but it quickly becomes clear that even after two years of limited practice stolen when nobody was watching, he far outmatches them. Ardyn pulls some strings and gets Ravus assigned to instruction by the elite mercenaries hired into the military. There's nothing he wants more than to improve his skills, to become the man his mother wanted him to be. To become the man Lunafreya needs him to be, if he's to keep her safe. To become the man he needs to be to exact his revenge on the line of Lucis.

Ardyn makes good on his promise to allow Ravus access to Lunafreya. He moves back into his old rooms in Fenestala Manor, when he's not out on base with the rest of the army. They start sending him out on missions -- small ones to start off with, only MTs for company in his unit. All of them expendable, should he decide to turn on his compatriots. Ravus leads the MTs to victory in a small battle in Cleigne, and when he returns, he's advanced to the rank of Lieutenant.

Every time he stands at attention when Ardyn inspects the troops, he expects to be pulled aside and called to Ardyn's rooms. Every time, Ardyn just smiles at him as he passes him by.

It's been the better part of a year that Ravus has been waiting for the other shoe to drop. His gut tightens every time he sees Ardyn, and now that he hasn't been forced into submission for so long, he finds that his body craves it as much as he fears it. Has Ardyn forgotten their deal? Has he decided he no longer wants the _personal service_ he requested?

Or is he just waiting for the right moment to strike?

***

The shoe finally drops on Lunafreya's sixteenth birthday. He spends the full day with her, indulging in her every whim, showering her in gifts and the fanciest cakes the manor's kitchen staff can come up with. She smiles at him and tells him how glad she is that they're able to see each other again, after those first difficult years apart.

When he returns to his room after dinner, Ardyn is waiting for him, sitting slouched in the chair at his desk.

"Chancellor," he says, trying to ignore the sudden tightness in his chest. "To what do I owe the honor of your visit?"

"You've done quite well for yourself this past year," Ardyn replies, twirling his hat around his finger. "I thought perhaps you might like to demonstrate your gratitude." When Ravus doesn't reply, Ardyn straightens up and says, "On your knees, boy."

There's not a conscious thought involved. His knees hit the floor, and his hands come behind his back and cross at the wrists. Ravus frowns. He's been doing so well at holding up to all the other soldiers, even all the dominant officers, but a single command from Ardyn and he's practically begging. Ardyn beckons him forward, and Ravus shuffles over on his knees. "Well? Aren't you grateful?" he asks.

Ravus clears his throat. "Thank you, Chancellor."

"Do call me Ardyn when we're alone, won't you?"

"Thank you, Ardyn."

Ardyn hums, cupping Ravus's chin in his hand. His thumb brushes over Ravus's lips, then shoves into his mouth. Ravus tries not to choke as the pad of Ardyn's thumb presses down on the back of his tongue, but then Ardyn pulls back just as suddenly as he'd pushed in.

"I hear your dear sister intends to take up the Oracle's mantle very soon," Ardyn says, his thumb still brushing over Ravus's lower lip. "She'll have duties to attend to, places to be, people to heal. You won't be able to keep her safe in Fenestala Manor anymore." He looks down at Ravus and withdraws his hand as Ravus tries to determine whether or not that was supposed to be a threat. "Take off your clothes," he orders, a sharp command at odds with the singsong languor of his usual conversation.

Ravus complies, stripping bare and setting his clothes neatly folded to the side. Some of the men who'd had him before had wanted to rip the shirt from his back, but he gets the impression Ardyn is more fastidious. "Hm," Ardyn says with a smile, "already half hard. Haven't you been indulging yourself with the other officers? Or have you been saving yourself entirely for me?"

Ravus can feel the heat rising in his cheeks even as Ardyn laughs at him. He hasn't had sex since Caligo, by choice. After years of mistreatment, he wasn't sure he'd ever want to again, but apparently his body has other ideas. "Tell me," Ardyn says, "do you want me to fuck you? And do be honest, boy, I'll know if you're lying."

"I don't know," Ravus bites out. It's the truth, but it's not a truth he's proud of. He doesn't _like_ Ardyn. He doesn't like the veiled threats against Luna, or the fact that all he's accomplished this past year has been dependent on Ardyn's good will . . . but the stiffness of his cock tells another story entirely.

Ardyn stands suddenly, circling around to Ravus's back. There's a tense moment of silence, and then Ravus is knocked forward by a sudden blow to his back, his face hitting the thick carpet before he can move his arms to catch himself. A heavy weight settles on top of his crossed wrists -- Ardyn's boot, by the way it's grinding against his skin -- and he struggles against it even though he knows he shouldn't. "I believe once Lunafreya has ascended as Oracle, I'll take you back to Gralea with me. Introduce you to the Emperor. You'd like that, wouldn't you? The opportunity to curry favor?" Ardyn's heel twists against him, the pressure on his bones so hard he thinks they might snap.

"As a military officer, or as your pet?" Ravus asks, though he knows it's the kind of back talk that gets subs disciplined. He's not entirely sure whether or not he _wants_ to be disciplined.

Ardyn just laughs and lifts his foot, setting it down in front of Ravus's face. He doesn't get back up -- he hasn't been commanded to, and if there's one thing he learned from his years as a plaything, it's that once you're down you stay down until someone tells you otherwise. "Prove to me you can be a good pet, and perhaps I'll repay the favor by introducing you as a military officer. Your training in the army has gone quite well, but I suspect you'll be a bit more trouble to train in the bedroom." He nudges Ravus's cheek with the toe of his boot. "Thank me for the opportunity."

Ravus kisses his boot, lips pressed tightly together, but Ardyn doesn't move. He tries again, open-mouthed this time, letting his tongue come out to taste the leather. He lifts his head as far as he's able, licking up the side of the boot, until Ardyn steps away. "I'll be staying here tonight, I think," he says, waving distractedly back at Ravus. "Get up and help me prepare for bed."

Ravus staggers to his feet, naked and aching and with the thick taste of dirty leather in his mouth. "You're not concerned about being seen leaving my room in the morning?" he asks.

"My dear boy, I don't think there's any question about who's serving whom in this relationship. Let them talk. They already know you're mine."

***

Ardyn doesn't fuck him that night. He doesn't touch him again after he's climbed in bed, only orders Ravus to sleep at the foot of the bed like a dog. When he wakes up, Ardyn is gone, and there's an assignment waiting for him to provide security to a supply caravan for a base in Accordo.

Lunafreya becomes the youngest Oracle in history when he returns from his mission. She still speaks of prophecy and peace, and Ravus can only be glad for her that she's been shielded from exposure to the worst parts of humanity; the parts that would leave her questioning whether any of them even deserve peace.

He receives a letter from Ardyn, hand-written in looping cursive and delivered by MT.

_My dear Prince Ravus,_ it reads, _There appears to be a rebellion in the northeast region of Tenebrae. I'm sure you'll do an excellent job of quelling it. I shall await you in Gralea when your mission is complete._

***

"I'm afraid this simply isn't acceptable," Ardyn says as Ravus stands at attention and makes his report. "You let the rebels _live_?"

"They're in custody," Ravus replies. He couldn't very well execute his own countrymen, certainly not when they were begging for mercy and pleading with him as their prince to lead them to victory. If it wasn't for Ardyn's threats to Lunafreya, he would have joined them without a second thought.

Ardyn clucks his tongue. "I'm afraid you'll have to be punished," he says, his eyes raking over Ravus's body. "Follow me."

Ravus follows, dogging Ardyn's steps as he leads him through the imperial palace, winding down through the levels until he's fairly certain they're underground. Ardyn opens a door, and he follows into a dungeon. It's hard to say whether it's intended for pleasure or pain; likely both. His heart has been picking up its pace the whole walk down here, and now it's close to beating out of his chest, though he doesn't know whether it's in fear of what Ardyn will do or anticipation.

"Strip," Ardyn says. When Ravus has shed the last of his clothing, Ardyn straps him to a rack attached to one wall with thick leather cuffs. He's spread eagled, and the metal of the rack is cold against his skin. "Now let's see," Ardyn murmurs to himself, "what would be the appropriate punishment?"

"My orders didn't say to kill them," Ravus says, not sure whether it's a good idea to plead his case or not. "I completed my mission."

Ardyn just laughs. "If I'm to convince anyone at all that you deserve the position of military commander, you're going to have to do a little better than following orders to the letter." Ravus can't see what Ardyn is doing, but he shivers when he hears the sound of leather slithering off the shelf. The first strike of the flogger is a shock, heavy and thick across his back. Ardyn throws several more strikes in quick succession, back and forth until Ravus's whole back is hot and he's trembling under the blows.

There's a pause, and Ravus struggles to catch his breath. Before he can, however, Ardyn starts up again, this time hitting him with the tips of the flogger. It's excruciating, but his body craves it so much that he's straining against his bonds to push back into the blows. "Tell me," Ardyn says between strikes, "did they beg for mercy? Did they call you their prince?" Ardyn's breathing a little harder from the exertion, but it's nothing compared to Ravus's gasping for breath.

"Yes," he hisses as Ardyn hits him again, the tips of the leather tails stinging the skin at the top of his ass.

"Oh, Ravus," Ardyn says. He tosses the flogger to the ground and comes closer, and Ravus shudders when Ardyn's hands land on him and trace over his sore flesh. There's a sharp crack and he jumps as Ardyn's palm comes down on his ass. "You may be a prince to me, but to them, you're a Niff-loving traitor. How many soldiers did you let fuck you before I found you? Hardly behavior becoming of a prince." Ravus presses his lips together, breathing hard through his nose. Ardyn is right, of course. He strikes Ravus one more time, then his hand is gentle, kneading Ravus's ass, caressing his back, and he squeezes his eyes shut to try to stop the tears forming in them.

"Poor boy," Ardyn says. "Your countrymen despise you, and your new compatriots think of you only as a plaything." He starts working on releasing Ravus from the straps holding him to the rack. "We'll show them all what you're capable of, but you'll need to work your way up. I'll take care of you until you can learn to act like a true soldier of Niflheim." The straps are released, and Ravus wobbles, then falls to his knees. "Hm. I don't think you'll need a collar and leash to crawl after me, will you?"

"No," Ravus says, lowering himself to all fours.

"Good boy," Ardyn says. Ravus crawls naked after him all the way back through the palace, through the receiving rooms and the great halls, through the game room and the public plaza, past offices full of officials working diligently. Nobody spares him a second glance.

***

There's a pet's room in the chancellor's quarters, and Ravus moves into it for the duration of his stay in Gralea. He still goes out and trains with his unit daily, but at night he's at Ardyn's mercy. And despite Ravus's initial misgivings, Ardyn is merciful indeed. He feeds him well, lets him go about his own business most of the evening, even lets him listen to the radio broadcasts with news of Lunafreya.

Ardyn still doesn't touch him. It's infuriating, knowing that both of them are thinking of it, knowing that he can't stop wanting it, and night after night being used only as a footrest or an errand boy, though his cock is hard and aching. Ravus works harder than ever in training, drilling his unit until they're by far the best in their division. It's after he's finished a training session, and he's ending the day with some practice alone in the training hall, that a voice he'd hoped to never hear again startles him out of the form he's working through.

"Well, well. Look at you, prancing around like you own the place."

Ravus forces himself to follow through on the thrust of his sword, then sheathes it lest he be tempted to run Caligo through. "Is there something you need?" he asks, trying to make himself sound bored and disinterested despite the sweat that's rapidly forming on his palms.

"I heard the Chancellor had a favored pet, but I hardly imagined it would be you."

_I'm not a pet,_ Ravus wants to say, but his bed in Ardyn's quarters says otherwise.

"I can't imagine why he lets you go around pretending to be good for anything other than getting fucked," Caligo continues. "And you weren't even very good at that."

"Would you like to test my skills with the blade?" Ravus offers. It's a challenge that a sub should never give a dom, not unless they want to be beaten, but he'd do anything to wipe that smug smirk off Caligo's face.

Caligo just laughs. "And risk dirtying my dress uniform with Tenebrean blood? I think not."

"Coward," Ravus hisses as Caligo turns away. He doesn't really mean to say it loud enough to be heard, but the word comes out of his mouth before he has a chance to stop it. Caligo freezes, then slowly turns back around.

"What did you say, boy?" he asks, eyes glinting with a dominant anger that makes Ravus's gut twist. He barely has time to react, but he's been practicing and training and when Caligo rushes him, he gets his sword out and up.

They freeze, locked together with Caligo's hand around Ravus's throat and Ravus's blade pressing against Caligo's jugular. Ravus can see the tick of Caligo's pulse, the surprise in his wide eyes, even as his own blood rushes in his ears.

The sound of someone clapping breaks the tableau. "What a comfort," Ardyn says, "to know that the elite soliders of Niflheim's army are so quick to react. But what a disappointment, to see such contention among the ranks." Caligo's hand twitches away, and Ravus carefully sheaths his sword, his face burning with shame in an involuntary reaction to his master's displeasure. "Don't you have somewhere to be, Caligo?" Ardyn asks smoothly.

"I was just on my way to an audience with General Glauca," Caligo replies.

"Of course you were; it's not every day the general graces us with his presence. My, it must be nigh on four years since he's been to Gralea. We'll be joining you for the reception afterward, won't we, Ravus?"

Ravus's blood runs cold. The last time he saw Glauca it was with the broken body of his mother falling to the ground in front of him as she slid off of the blade he'd run her through with. But Ardyn is looking at him expectantly, and Ravus somehow grits out, "As you command."

***

Ardyn brings him to the reception not as his submissive, but as an officer, dressed up in his Tenebrean raiment with his sword hanging in a decorative sheath at his hip. He's not sure if that makes it better or worse than it would be to crawl naked at Ardyn's side. As they arrive in the hall, Ravus wonders whether being forced to dine with his mother's murderer is his punishment for calling Caligo a coward.

There aren't very many subs in the top ranks of the military, and everyone here is ranked far higher than Ravus is. The only other subs present are servants and pets, and an occasional collared spouse brought along more for show than anything else. He follows along behind Ardyn, aware that he's trailing him as if he was wearing a leash but unable to strike out on his own. He's not here by invitation from the military; he's here because Ardyn wanted him to be here. If he didn't already know that, the whispers and hissed insults from people he passes would have told him quickly.

Ardyn seems unconcerned, introducing Ravus to some of the high-ranking officers and praising his achievements. Ravus tries his best to comport himself like a prince, and he thinks he pulls it off well enough, making small talk about transport ship design and Magitek weapons as he nibbles on the appetizers Ardyn insists he try. He's far from hungry, though, knowing that one of these men is General Glauca. Though the general's helmed visage haunts Ravus's dreams, he's never seen the man without his full armor. He could be anyone, and the thought makes Ravus sick with anger and anxiety.

"Chancellor!" a man calls, and Ardyn excuses himself from his present company to approach him. The man is middle-aged, short brown hair, and Ravus is momentarily distracted by the beautiful young woman kneeling at his side, her arms bound behind her with rope crisscrossing her chest, leaving her breasts free to expose the piercings in her nipples. "Is this your Tenebraean protege I've heard so much about? It's quite a coup, to have a young man advance so swiftly through the ranks, especially a sub."

Ravus forces a smile and nod at the man. It's the first time anyone's said anything about him all night that wasn't just a veiled insult. "Indeed," Ardyn says, waving a hand toward Ravus. "Ravus Nox Fleuret, former Prince of Tenebrae. Oh, but you've met before, haven't you? When you killed his mother."

Ravus's heart skips a beat and strains, like it's being squeezed in Shiva's icy grip. He freezes, caught between the sick terror of his youth and the desire to pull out his sword and slice Glauca's throat. If he tried, he'd probably just end up dead for his troubles, and it's the combination of that thought and Ardyn's hand settling on his shoulder that breaks him free of his paralysis. ". . . grown into an impressive young man," Glauca is saying, looking at him with cruel, considering eyes. "I look forward to seeing what you make of yourself."

"Thank you, sir," Ravus forces himself to answer through the knot in his throat.

***

Back in Ardyn's quarters, as he helps Ardyn out of his elaborate garb, Ravus notices that his hands are shaking. When he moves to take off his own jacket, he finds he can't manage to grasp the buttons and push them through the holes. His fingers feel thick and clumsy, and he's lightheaded, mind whirling with a mess of feelings he can't put a name to.

"You seem quite overwrought; do allow me to help you," Ardyn says, taking Ravus's trembling hands in his own and moving them away from the buttons. "Hands at your sides," he orders, and Ravus obeys. He holds still while Ardyn undoes his buttons, lets himself be posed like a puppet so that he can be disrobed. The sword is set aside, his clothing neatly folded, though he notices these things distantly through the fog in his head.

Ardyn looks him over. "Get on the bed. On your knees, hands behind your back."

It's almost a relief to be given orders, to put some structure and limits around the formless anxiety suffusing him. He does as commanded, breath coming shallow and fast, and Ardyn produces a length of silk rope and begins to bind him. "Poor boy," Ardyn murmurs as he arranges Ravus's arms and starts looping the rope around his wrists. "Your mother's murderer one step in front of you and you were powerless to do anything about it. I suppose that's to be expected; after all, you were powerless to stop him from killing her." The rope wraps around his elbows, one loop around his chest just across his nipples, then slides back between his arms and beneath his ankles.

"And that all on top of confronting Caligo earlier today?" Ardyn tsks, tying Ravus's ankles to his wrists. "You must be a mess." Ravus feels like a mess, unable to concentrate enough to analyze his own feelings. Unable to stop the trembling of his extremities; unable to _breathe_. All he can manage to think is _what would Lunafreya say_ if she knew he'd had a chance to kill Glauca and froze? Ardyn ties the final knot, and Ravus tugs against the bonds and finds their security helps him calm down enough to take a few deep breaths.

Ardyn disappears into the closet, and Ravus's anxiety starts to grow again, but he returns shortly with a spreader bar and a blindfold. The blindfold goes on first, soft and heavy over his eyes, then Ardyn secures the spreader bar between his knees. Each bit of control taken away from him settles his panic a little more, gives him something else to focus on. He wonders if Ardyn is going to fuck him like this -- perhaps he'll fuck his mouth, deep enough he can't breathe. Or maybe he'll be shoved face down and penetrated, rough and hard enough to drive all these thoughts out of his mind.

"There we go," Ardyn says. "Is that better?" Ravus nods, not trusting himself to speak. Ardyn's broad hand settles on his cheek, strokes down the line of his neck, then curls around his throat. "Funny how you get so worked up over being helpless before the general, and yet being helpless for me is the thing that settles you." He squeezes lightly, not enough to cut off Ravus's airway, but enough for Ravus to know that he _could_. "I know I'm no substitute for your dear sister, but I don't know that she'd be willing to give you what you really need, would she?" His hand squeezes harder, and Ravus manages a shallow breath before he's cut off entirely. Suffocating under Ardyn's hand is so much better than suffocating on his own anxiety. "Does she know how badly you need someone to rein you in when you're out of control? How you crave the security of a leash?"

Ardyn lets go just as blackness starts to close in on Ravus's vision, and he sucks in air violently. "I suppose in some sense she must. After all, that's the reason she was to be queen, rather than you king, is it not? The long tradition of dominant rulers? Do you know, I've always thought that was a ridiculous custom. You're quite capable of standing your ground, as you did with Caligo just this afternoon. You're capable of leading armies." Ardyn's hand curls around the back of Ravus's head, pulling him back by the hair. "As long as you have someone at your side to take care of you and keep you under control."

"Please," Ravus whispers hoarsely, begging for anything that will make all of his feelings _stop_.

"What was that? I'm afraid I didn't hear you," Ardyn says, the tone of his voice making it clear that he did.

" _Please_ ," he repeats, his body trembling at how badly he wants what Ardyn is offering.

Ardyn laughs and lets go of his hair. He draws his hands down Ravus's chest, tugging lightly at the rope to make it rub his nipples before moving down to rake his nails over Ravus's ribs. It's barely even the start of any kind of serious play, and yet Ravus's heart has been racing since the afternoon and he already feels wrung out, just from this. The anticipation of months without the touch he expected, the fatigue of having to deny his nature day in and day out to maintain his position, the emotional exhaustion of confronting his primary abuser and his mother's murderer in the same afternoon -- all of it leaves him empty and shaking and wanting nothing more than for Ardyn to _keep going_.

And he does, to Ravus's relief, hands moving down his hips and then between his legs. Ardyn's large palm cradles his balls, rolling them between his fingers, then moves up to stroke his cock, already hard and aching in reaction to his bonds. "Is this what you wanted?" Ardyn asks, his tone mocking. "Is this what you've been waiting for?"

"Please," Ravus says again, hips twitching uselessly with the way his arms and legs are bound. Ardyn jerks him roughly, fast and tight and _perfect_ , his other hand settling around Ravus's throat again, and it's an embarrassingly short amount of time before Ravus is coming across Ardyn's hands and his own belly. His mind goes blissfully blank for a short while, until he's brought back to awareness by strain in his shoulders as he slumps against his bonds.

"Hm," Ardyn says, and then there are fingers at his mouth and Ravus opens to suck them in. He licks his own come off each of Ardyn's fingers, then his palm, as Ardyn tells him he's a good boy and he's done well.

It's praise he doesn't deserve, and he knows it.

Ardyn slides the blindfold off and Ravus blinks at him as his eyes adjust back to the light. When Ardyn reaches for the ropes, Ravus asks, "Aren't you going to fuck me?"

"Do you want me to?" Ardyn asks curiously, one eyebrow arched.

Ravus looks away. "Yes." He feels better than he did when he entered the room, but the panic is still there, just under the surface, ready to re-emerge at a moment's notice. To keep it down, he needs _more_.

"That's hardly the sort of enthusiasm I like to see in my pets. Why don't you try that again, hmm?"

He clears his throat. Most of his prior experience of begging involved begging for the officers toying with him to stop, not to keep going. "I want--" Ravus bites his lip, then tries again. "I want you to fuck me. Please. I need it." He's sure he's flushed red halfway down his chest at the admission, but it feels good to get it out in the open.

Ardyn grabs his chin and lifts it up, forcing him to meet his eyes, and gazes at him for a long moment. "Yes," he says finally, "I can see that you do. Never let it be said that I'm a man who doesn't give his subs what they need." And then Ardyn's palm cracks across his cheek and he falls sideways, landing on his side on the bed. His face stings and he blinks back tears as Ardyn grabs him by the hips and maneuvers him face down, then releases and starts reforming his bonds to allow better access to his ass. The spreader bar stays where it is, but his ankles are released and his hands positioned on his elbows, the rope winding around his upper arms and chest to keep them there. One loop goes around his throat, and he imagines it's how a collar must feel.

Ravus presses the side of his face into the bed, practically vibrating with anticipation. He needs this so badly, needs to be driven out of his own mind, needs to be submerged in sensation until there's nothing left of himself and there's only Ardyn, taking pleasure in his body. The first touch of a slick finger at his asshole has Ravus arching his back to try to push into it; Ardyn grabs his hip and says, "Greedy, aren't we?" But he slides his finger in as far as it will go, then a second, then a third. It's perfunctory at best, but Ardyn must know how long it's been since Ravus last had a cock in his ass or he wouldn't be doing this at all. The hand on his hip stops him from rocking back into Ardyn's fingers, no matter how badly he wants to. He bites down on the sheets instead, trying to retain the last shreds of his dignity by staying quiet.

Ravus is a young man. By the time Ardyn's cock is sliding along the crack of his ass, he's already hard again, erection trapped between his belly and the sheets. "Tell me again what it is you need," Ardyn whispers, the head of his cock pressing against Ravus's entrance.

Ravus squeezes his eyes shut. "I need you to fuck me until I can't think," he says, muffled against the sheets.

Ardyn shoves into him in one long stroke, then starts a rhythm, fucking him slow and deep. It's exactly what he needs, but it's still not _enough_. "Caligo wasn't lying when he said you had a tight ass," Ardyn murmurs, one hand trailing along the ropes binding his arms, He pulls, and the rope around Ravus's throat tightens. "Dear Lunafreya could never do this for you," he says, hips slamming into Ravus's ass. "But I can give you everything. Command of an army. Status and respect. Your sister's safety. A good-- hard-- fuck," Ardyn finishes, punctuating his words with the thrusting of his hips.

There was a time, when Ravus was fifteen, that he'd been allowed champagne at a reception in honor of the visiting ambassador from Accordo. He'd found it surprisingly pleasant to taste, and taken far too many glasses from the trays of passing servants, until he had to ask one of the servants to assist him back to his room. He'd lain in bed afterward, the room spinning around him and his head thick with the buzz of alcohol, until he'd finally fallen asleep.

It's like that now, only it's the overwhelming sensation of being filled up with Ardyn's substantial girth, shoved face-first into the sheets until his cheek aches from the friction, choked by Ardyn's incessant tugging at the rope around his neck. More than that, it's the feeling of being under someone else's control, given over entirely to Ardyn's whim. Ravus's cock rubs against the sheets with each thrust and he thinks dizzily that he's going to come again only moments before it happens, drawing a moan that he forgets to muffle into the bed.

"Let me hear you," Ardyn commands, the kind of authority in his voice that Ravus has never been able to ignore. He moans again as Ardyn fucks him right through it until the motion of his cock against the sheets crosses over from pleasurable to painful, and then Ardyn changes his angle to drill straight into Ravus's prostate, and he screams.

It's too much, he can't handle it, it's too much _too much_ \--

"Shhh," Ardyn whispers, stroking his side. "You need this, remember?"

He does need this. He needs to be driven out of his mind, caught in a mess of pain and pleasure and fucked raw. He dimly realizes he's talking, a litany of _pleasepleasepleaseplease_ as he drifts out of his body, hoping that he'll be good enough to bring Ardyn pleasure.

Ravus loses time, suspended in a state of overwhelmed ecstasy, as Ardyn fucks him steadily. He might be getting hard again; he's not sure and he doesn't really care, but Ardyn starts to pick up speed, rolling his hips in shallow circles, until he suddenly pulls out and hot, wet come hits Ravus's lower back and drips down into his crack.

The rest of the evening comes in bits and pieces: the slither of the silk rope as it's released from his arms; the warmth of a cloth wiping him clean; the sound of his own voice rasping, "Thank you." Ardyn lets him sleep at the foot of the bed, and when he curls up in his blankets, there's nothing in his head but a pleasant haze.

***

"I heard they've made you a general," Lunafreya says with a smile. "Congratulations."

Ravus inclines his head. "And you've made a name for yourself as a kind and benevolent oracle. You look well, sister." It's been too long since he last saw her, between her duties and his military campaigns. She's matured into a strong, independent woman, despite the isolation of Fenestala Manor she's constrained to when she's not performing her duties. At least he's managed to ensure her comfort, arranging for her favored servants from home to travel with her when she goes out amongst the people, in addition to the armed guard from Niflheim.

"I've only just returned from a trip to Cleigne. The scourge is spreading, Ravus. I fear it will be all too soon that Noctis will be called to fulfill his destiny."

Ravus frowns. "If anyone is to eliminate the darkness, Lunafreya, it is you, not a sheltered boy whose father abandoned us."

Lunafreya sighs. They've had this argument in circles for years, and they both know it won't be resolved today. "The young lieutenant they sent to guard me on my last trip was a sub, do you know him?" she asks, following their unspoken rule of changing the subject whenever things get touchy.

"Loqi, you mean? I'm surprised Caligo let him off his leash."

"Oh, come now. What cause have you to think he isn't as deserving of moving up the ranks as you are?"

Ravus turns away to trace his fingers over the keepsake box on Lunafreya's desk. "No sub can advance in Niflheim's military without . . . patronage. I only mean that Caligo is not the kind of man who likes to let his pets get too far away from him, and I was under the impression that Loqi is Caligo's pet."

He can feel Lunafreya's steady gaze on him, though he doesn't meet it. The question is there between them: _And whose pet are you?_ But Lunafreya doesn't ask. Whether it's because she already knows the answer and is being kind by not mentioning it, or it's because she doesn't want to hear him say he belongs to anyone but her, he'll never know. He doesn't want to belong to anyone but her. Ardyn knows that as well as anyone -- it's probably why he's never offered Ravus a collar.

Umbra and Pryna bound in through the garden door, and the moment is broken by a flurry of wagging tails and drooling tongues. Ravus watches Luna smile and hug her dogs, and feels satisfied that he's done as well for her as he can.

***

"Do you know what they're calling you?" Ardyn asks, his lips brushing against Ravus's ear. " _The chancellor's lap dog._ Rather fitting, don't you think?"

Ravus gasps as Ardyn's hands tighten on his hips, pulling him further into his lap and onto his cock. As he grinds slowly deeper, he pulls Ravus's back to his chest and tugs at the clamps on his nipples, drawing an unwilling groan out of him. Ravus grips the arms of the chair tightly, heels balanced on the edge to keep from dropping all of his weight onto Ardyn. Ardyn's hand slides up his throat to his face, and he hooks two fingers into Ravus's mouth. "Perhaps I should get you a muzzle," he says as he strokes Ravus's tongue and tugs at the back of his teeth.

Later, when they're both sated and Ardyn is doing paperwork, Ravus on hands and knees to act as a footrest, Ardyn says, "You know, I think you might make it all the way to high commander. You have the skill for it."

"The position isn't vacant," Ravus says, ignoring the way the heels of Ardyn's boots dig into his back.

Ardyn laughs. "Well, we'll just have to create a vacancy, won't we?"

Ravus takes a deep breath. It's a delicate game they're playing, toeing the lines of treason. He can't wait.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks as always to the best beta ever, misswonderheart! And thanks to introductory and r3zuri for encouragement, and to the OP of this prompt for putting the idea in my head.
> 
> If you want to join me in my ongoing Ravus problem find me on Tumblr @marmolita!


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